UFC welterweight contender Joaquin Buckley has called for a showdown with former world champion Belal Muhammad in the first quarter of 2026.
As we know, Joaquin Buckley is one of the most intriguing strikers currently in the welterweight division. However, in his most recent outing, he came up short in his attempt to defeat Kamaru Usman. He came close to a comeback victory late in the fight, but in the end it was ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ who raised his hand.
In response, Joaquin Buckley was keen to get back to work and prove he has what it takes to really make a run for the gold. He has improved tremendously in recent years and if he can get another finish in his next fight, it will truly be a cat among the pigeons at 170 pounds.
In one recent response On a Belal Muhammad video, Joaquin Buckley revealed his interest in fighting Belal in March 2026.
Joaquin Buckley wants Belal Muhammad to fight
“Happy New Year, big guy. But yeah, Belal, I like that. 2026, trying to get a win. But when are you trying to get a win? When? Because when you have these goals and you make big plans for the new year, you have to be very specific. So put a date on it.”
“I have a date for you: March 7. Let’s make it happen in Vegas. Okay? Let’s make it happen. We can both strive for both of our goals, to get a win, a victory. 100%. Let’s go.”
Buckley knows he can compete with wrestlers in the division, which proves against both Usman and Colby Covington – he even manages to get the win in the latter of those two fights.
Muhammad, meanwhile, is coming back after two straight wins, and he knows better than anyone how difficult it is to come back from three straight losses. Regardless of whether or not he takes this fight, Belal needs to know the clock is ticking if he wants to get back into the title picture.
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